What is Cobalt?

Cobalt is an element that is not found isolated in nature. It is No. 27 on the Periodic Table, and in most cases is found bonded to nickel or copper in the mining process. When isolated, cobalt is well known for its deep blue color and has been used to provide this pigment in rings and jewelry since jewelry has been produced by man.

What is Cobalt Jewelry?

Cobalt jewelry and cobalt rings are made primarily of cobalt, but more accurately they can be called Cobalt Chrome rings and Cobalt Chrome Jewelry. Made of a highly durable cobalt alloy that has been used in medical implants and the dental industry for years, cobalt jewelry employs the same cobalt chrome alloy from these industries for its extreme strength and high resistance to scratching. Cobalt jewelry is also quite malleable in the right craftsman's hands, and as a result can be worked into a vast array of unique styles and almost unlimited in its potential.

What are Cobalt Chrome Properties?

Cobalt Chrome is a harder metal than precious metals like platinum, gold and silver, and as a result will resist scratching and wear to a greater degree than precious metal equivalents. In addition to being a harder metal, Cobalt Chrome is also extremely strong and malleable. In terms of jewelry, this means Cobalt Chrome rings are shatterproof, as well as being able to be made into an almost infinite number of intricate styles.

What color is Cobalt?

In it’s natural state, cobalt has been used to provide a deep blue pigment to jewelry and even glassware for ages. However, when utilized in Cobalt Chrome rings, the color of cobalt is more akin to that of white gold or platinum. It is one of the more lighter metals, and unlike white gold does not require the need for rhodium plating to maintain its “whiter” hue. See below:

Cobalt Ring Tungsten Ring

What is Cobalt used for?

Aside from jewelry, cobalt chrome is used widely throughout the medical and dental industries. With it’s inherent strength and bio-compatibility, cobalt chrome is the ideal metal for joint and dental implants that need to withstand many years of wear and tear, holding up to the rigors of the human body.

Are Cobalt Rings dangerous?

Made from the same hypoallergenic and bio-compatible alloy as the cobalt chrome used in dental and joint implants, cobalt rings are not dangerous to wear and will not cause irritation or allergic reactions. The combination of the cobalt and tungsten has long been known for its causing irritation and itching of the skin when worn in tungsten carbide rings, but without these two elements combined, there is no need for worry with cobalt chrome. And Cobalt Rings can be removed in case of any emergency just like other rings by cutting.

While Cobalt Chrome rings and Tungsten Rings are both alternative metals and similarly exhibit a high scratch resistance, cobalt rings do have some slight differences from their tungsten contemporaries. First, the color of cobalt is a much whiter hue. Cobalt rings and cobalt chrome wedding bands are a much lighter metal, with shades more akin to white gold than tungsten. Second, tungsten rings, due to their extreme hardness, have almost no malleability, whereas cobalt rings are very malleable. This basically means rings in cobalt chrome are a lot more “workable” and can be made in many intricate styles that cannot be created in tungsten carbide, like tension set and multiple stone rings without precious metal inlay. Finally, the weight of cobalt and tungsten does vary. Tungsten rings are known for being quite heavy, while cobalt will be lighter in feel than tungsten carbide. Overall cobalt rings vs tungsten rings there is not a clear winner but each has different properties.

What’s the difference between Cobalt Rings and Titanium Rings?

Cobalt rings and their titanium counterparts do share some basic characteristics like weight, although cobalt is still slightly heavier, and both cobalt and titanium are shatterproof. However, while titanium does exhibit some scratch resistance, cobalt is many times harder than titanium, and thus able to withstand daily wear without scratching to a much higher degree. The two metals also vary in their color. Titanium will appear much darker in its hues, while cobalt is a whiter metal, garnering comparisons to white gold and platinum.